PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania sets forth clear requirements and guidelines for its alternative schools, which are temporary placements for disruptive students. Programs must be developed in consultation with staff, parents and the community. They must operate five days a week and 180 days a year and must provide at least 2.5 hours of counseling per week. Eligibility policies must be clearly communicated to parents and students, with students placed only when other disciplinary methods have failed. Student behavior must be reviewed at minimum at the end of each semester, and programs are expected to return students to the regular environment at a rate of 20 percent each school year. Teachers must be highly qualified, and students' instructional programs must have clear and measurable performance goals and must allow students to make normal academic progress toward graduation.